1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to the systems and methods for creating electrical energy from wind and solar sources and the storage of the same.
2. Description of Related Art
The use of wind turbines to generate electricity is well known in the prior art. These turbines generally include a vertical tower which supports a turbine operatively connected to a propeller which spins on a horizontal axis or to another device designed to take advantage of the moving wind. Many alternative designs and orientations have been shown and discussed in the prior art.
Generating electricity from renewable energy sources has received a great deal of attention in the past few years. Yet both wind and solar power generation have significant disadvantages. For example, wind speed and direction vary, making the amount of electricity generated by a wind turbine inconsistent and clouds obscure the sun making the amount of power generated by solar panels also inconsistent. To address these inconsistencies, it is desirable to exploit both solar and wind energy together for power generation for economic, practical, and environmental reasons.
In the current state of the art, efficiency of wind turbines greatly exceeds that of photovoltaic (PV) materials while having a much smaller land or sea footprint. Still, the opportunity exists for solar energy to be collected by PV materials for the conversion of solar energy directly into electrical power to improve the overall efficiency of the system. Additionally, an increase in dependency of the overall system is achieved, as upon conversion of solar energy, ancillary power functions needed to support and supplement the operation of the wind turbine are possible. A hybrid wind turbine combined with solar photovoltaic system can increase the maximum energy capture.
Known prior art wind turbines with a solar component include systems such as that shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,372,978 entitled Wind/Sun Solar Collection System, which is incorporated by reference. This system uses separate solar panels and wind turbines requiring a vast footprint. However, many wind turbine “farms” are installed on land which is also put to other uses. For example, many wind turbine farms are located in agricultural areas where farming of the surrounding land is also desired. It is therefore desirable to provide a solar and wind collection system which minimizes its overall footprint and thus the amount of land required for its use.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 6,097,104 entitled Hybrid Energy Recovery System describes a system that collects energy through separate solar and wind generators. Again, the solar panels and separate wind turbine take up a large area. Moreover, only enough solar energy to support the energy needs of the wind turbine and is used for emergency backup power. This design does not support a solar energy collection capability that is added to the wind turbine power for purposes of a hybrid power generation capability as with the present invention.
Attempts have been made to provide power generation from two renewable energy sources, but they have major structural difference as with the system design disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,551,631 entitled Wind and Solar Electric Generating Plant where the system includes a separate wind generator or turbine which has a roof or other similar structure covering that supports an array of solar cells. The system uses a wind turbine which rotates about a vertical shaft. Such arrangements require a much larger footprint and thus tend to take up too much space for large scale use. Although the platform of solar cells may provide an additional source of energy when the sun is shining, the platform also serves to divert the natural wind flow thereby altering the effectiveness of the wind turbine. In addition, such a system results in additional cost for the construction of the roof platform, as well as added maintenance for the additional structure. Furthermore, many areas of the country, which receive substantial snowfall, are not well suited for utilizing these systems.
Other attempts have been made to include solar panels on the fan blades of a wind turbine as in U.S. Pat. No. 5,254,876 entitled Combined Solar and Wind Powered Generator with Spiral Blades and U.S. Pat. No. 7,045,702 entitled Solar-Paneled Windmill. Similarly, in U.S. Publication No. 2008/0047270 A1 entitled Solar Windmill: the solar panels are mounted on the surface of the flaps and fins. The inclusion of the solar panel or cells on the fan blades, fins or flaps limits the solar energy collection area and the thereby the effectiveness of combining the two renewable energy sources for a power generation capability. In these designs the solar power does not augment the efficiency of the wind turbine's power generation capability as does the hybrid wind and solar energy collection systems of the present invention.
In U.S. Pat. No. 7,345,374 entitled Decorative Windmill With Solar Panel, the solar energy collector is sized and selected to provide for the functional requirements of electrical devices associated with the windmill use or for the decoration of the windmill only. The solar generation capability is not used to be part of a hybrid energy generation system as with the present invention.
In these respects, the hybrid wind and solar turbine according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provide an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of generating power.